Forever & After

Our Happily Ever After

And they lived happily ever after...

That redhead had heard of that line far too many times from his dear mother when she was still alive,

To live happily ever after–

—That's always been the goal of those protagonists he had read about in novels while growing up, silly sometimes and crazy with their circumstances, yet they achieved it.

However, living happily ever after–

—Is also the most selfish wish he could ever think of for himself, he actually didn't even want to think about it.

Something he wanted but he knew too well he would never get, he himself had given up a long time ago.

To find that happiness to live ever after, he could only wish upon the stars to ever experience it once through a feverish dream...

All because he knows that the universe would never deliver such selfish requests to people like him, and he just had to accept it.

The evil scum.

The antagonist.

The tainted one.

The ticking-bomb-like villain…

Such unachievable and unbelievable ending, one that even good and righteous people rarely ever get—  there's no way such a Villain like him would ever attain, right...?

It was only a hopeless thought, truly.

Or at least… he's debating if it should have stayed that way—

"Jagiya?"

Flinch.

Not realizing that he's been drowning in his own thoughts for long, that red haired hero finally noticed the deafening silence he had unintentionally caused around him, being pulled out to reality by his dearest’s gentle, worried voice.

"Hey, are you alright?"

'Am… I…?'

He asked himself as he let the man who's standing with him on this altar firmly take a hold of his arm, as if trying to keep him stable just in case he suddenly collapsed or something as he tried to answer.

"...I... yeah"

It took him a moment, but once he could look his partner in the eyes, suddenly all of his worries and thoughts, all the ‘what ifs’ just melted to the warmth of the hand that's been fondly caressing his bare face for his comfort, slowly, his lips moved and the words overflew.

"It's just... you see..." he felt like his eyes began to tear up, though, really, he doesn't even care anymore. Nothing matters, especially the public's view of him. His raw emotions are only for his lover to be felt, not for them to judge.

He won't accept it, he naturally plans to ignore them completely.

"I never thought that I would ever make it here…," He trailed as a single tear rolled off his face when he chuckled watery, "...All my life... my only option is to die young or live long enough as the villain."

The fate of the hero.

Who was the one who said it? He doesn't remember exactly, but those words were like a thorn that have been thrusted so deep in his neck that he can't breathe without remembering–

–The fate of the righteous hero is to die young, or to live long enough to be the hateful villain.

That is something that has been plaguing his mind for the longest time. A thing that only recently he's starting to learn is not to be correct, he now understands more.

Still, he cannot really forget the past.

"As Cale Henituse... my happiness died along with my beloved mother." There's bitterness in his tone. One that made some of the audiences react visibly had he looked around. A vivid reaction that he actively chose to ignore, wanting to only focus on those gentle eyes gazing back at him.

"Even as Moonlight…," Another tear slipped, but neither of the grooms cared for it at the moment, "let alone being happy. All that I could ever think of was how to make my death somewhat useful, and that's it."

His voice cracked. And truly, at this moment, nobody can even call him a liar or faking things to gain some cheap sympathy.

Not when those pair of Reddish-brown only ever reserved to the dark eyes of the black-swordmaster ever since he snapped out of his trace.

"I never really had home before, that thought was so ridiculous for me.. But now? We're building a family that I would never trade for all the worlds."

"One that you'd rather sacrifice your own blood and organs if needed to?"

Morbid talk that's unsuitable in a wedding, it might have been. But judging from how the redhead burst out laughing freely for the first time in forever, and how Choi Han, who was responsible for such reaction, merely smile lightheartedly despite the disapproving looks thrown at him from many if not most of the said family member, needless to say, those words would either reserved as an inside joke or held some pieces of truth in it.

In any case, he was just happy to watch his beloved smile happily.

At last, their questions were answered with a simple reply.

"Don't just expose me like that, gosh." Moonlight was still chuckling as he erased the tears from his face, "Then again, you always know how to make me smile"

That swordmaster grinned, "I do."

To which, The redhead smirked in return, "I do, too"

Ahem.

Jack, the pope who was reserved as their marriage official, chuckled softly after he cleared his throat to finally get the attention of the loving couple.

"Well, although this is supposedly when you two exchange vows, I suppose we can skip the rest of the talking if you'd prefer? You already did an amazing oath just now"

Jack normally shouldn't be doing that. But really, after what he witnessed with his own eyes, the moment this couple exchanged glances before then each gave their trademark grin towards him, he was sure that formalities no longer needed for they are all they need.

This wedding as whole isn't as necessary as everyone imagined, their love was just enough.

"Very well then, with the power and trust bestowed upon me, I hereby declared you husbands for the rest of eternity, may you kiss the grooms."

A chuckle escaped that redhead's lips as then turned to his love with fondness in his eyes.

"Well, Yeobo-ah— hmp-!"

Cale would have laughed there and then from his husband's impatience had it not from how eager he was being kissed right now, honestly he really wanted but the kiss took his breath away.

A moment of bliss, followed by the loud cheering and thunderous applause from the people he's starting to claim as his real family.

Maybe this happiness wouldn't be forever and after, but for that boy who has given his everything to the world, this would be the start of his new life filled with content and happiness.

In his heart, he already knows how crazy it is for a happy ever after ending to occur to him. And that is exactly why they understand happiness that works more logically.

They will work together, doing their best, and fight to strive to keep their happiness forever.

They will fight for it, rather than waiting for someone to just give it to them.

And thus, this shall be the start of their happily ever after.